Birds and Beasts
The men and women who wander through the parks of London normally give the impression of being a well-behaved lot of citizens. They keep off the grass when notices tell them to, they are not to be seen picking the flowers and shrubs or riding bicycles along the paths ; in fact, they seem to be reasonably aware that the parks, for which they pay, are meant for their common enjoy- ment. It is, therefore, all the more shocking to learn that the instinctive reaction of many Londoners to the sight of a bird nest- ing in a park is to throw bricks at it, steal its eggs and destroy the nest ; that, at any rate, is the picture presented in the report of the Committee of Bird Sanctuaries in the Royal Parks. The destruction is apparently quite indiscriminate ; rare species or common, ranging in size from swans to tits, with nests in the open or in specially placed boxes, guarded or unguarded, have in the past year alike been almost uniformly prevented from rearing their broods. Vandalism of this sort is so incredible that it defies cure, though lessons in schools might achieve something. Failing cure, punishment must follow detection, and it should be strong.
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